Timeless classic that still holds up
Mentioned in ~1 in 5 positive reviews
“gameplay is timeless - comic style graphics age well - it scales perfectly to 4k graphics.”
Steam review · 163.4 h played ↗
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Worth buying? What 300 Steam reviews say.Worth buying? Here’s what 300 Steam reviews actually say.
Very Positive · 93%Very Positive · 93%Firaxis Games, Feral Interactive (Linux)2012Turn-Based Strategy · Base Building · Strategy
The verdict
A genre-defining, addictive turn-based tactics classic with tense permadeath combat and base management. Skip it if hit-chance RNG angers you, or if you hit the Steam launch and crash problems.
Great for
Fans of tense turn-based tactics with permadeath who accept RNG and enjoy attachment to their soldiers
Main risk
Missed high-percentage shots feel unfair, and the Steam version may crash or fail to launch.
What players love
Tense, rewarding tactical combat
Mentioned in ~1 in 6 positive reviews
“The combat is tense, satisfying, and full of those unforgettable moment-to-moment decisions that completely change the flow of combat.”
Steam review · 85.3 h played ↗
Strategic layer: base, research, squad customization
Mentioned in ~1 in 8 positive reviews
“Base management is also great and strategic, with so many different options for various dimensions”
Steam review · 92.8 h played ↗
Addictive and highly replayable
Mentioned in ~1 in 8 positive reviews
“the "one more mission before bed" effect is amazing”
Steam review · 37.8 h played ↗
Great mods and Enemy Within DLC
Mentioned in ~1 in 9 positive reviews
“this game was good when it came out it was great with Long War its now PERFECTED with Long War Rebalance”
Steam review · 454.8 h played ↗
Attachment to soldiers and permadeath stakes
Mentioned in ~1 in 13 positive reviews
“your soldiers aren't just disposable units; they become your squad, and you start caring whether they make it home or not”
Steam review · 85.3 h played ↗
What players complain about
Brutal, unfair-feeling RNG hit chances
Mentioned in ~1 in 5 negative reviews
“90% of gameplay is missing 99% hit chances and then getting one shot by an enemy with a 2% hit chance across the map”
Steam review · 108.3 h played ↗
Won't launch on Steam / DRM issues
Mentioned in ~1 in 5 negative reviews
“the steam version of this game has been broken since 2018”
Steam review · 93.6 h played ↗
Unbalanced difficulty spikes and punishing design
Mentioned in ~1 in 7 negative reviews
“Once you start losing missions you can't maintain an income, which means you lose more missions”
Steam review · 5.4 h played ↗
Game-breaking bugs and lost saves
Mentioned in ~1 in 8 negative reviews
“Softlocked twice on the FIRST mission due to bugs.”
Steam review · 3.8 h played ↗
Crashes, freezes and softlocks
Mentioned in ~1 in 8 negative reviews
“The game is extremely buggy, it constantly freezes, crashes, or softlocks”
Steam review · 20.6 h played ↗
Take-Two EULA and spyware concerns
Mentioned in ~1 in 13 negative reviews
“I loved this game, but I don't love binding arbitration.”
Steam review · 533.1 h played ↗
System requirements
From the Steam store page
Steam Deck: PlayableController support20 GB
Minimum
OSWindows Vista
Processor2 GHz Dual Core
Memory2 GB RAM
GraphicsNVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT / ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT or greater
Storage20 GB HD space
Recommended
OSWindows 7
Processor2 GHz Dual Core (Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or Athlon X2 2.7 GHz)
Memory4 GB RAM
GraphicsNVIDIA GeForce 9000 series / ATI Radeon HD 3000 series or greater
Storage20 GB HD space
OSWindows Vista
Processor2 GHz Dual Core
Memory2 GB RAM
GraphicsNVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT / ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT or greater
Storage20 GB HD space
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